New Year

Happy New Year to you dearest reader. I pray this year will be one of drawing ever closer to God. A year filled with His presence and tender moments sitting at His feet in the secret place. I pray God opens the windows of heaven above you and rains down His beauty (His delight, favor & approval) upon you as promised in Psalm 90:17.

A few seconds after midnight, I started on an excellent journey through His word. I started at the same point my group started...Genesis 1-2...the beginning. I believe God is taking us back to the beginning, back to the foundational teachings once again as a means of writing His word on our hearts to prepare us for this new year and the year to follow.

The #1 thing I have heard from many prophets for 2010 is "obedience". God is calling His church back to it's first love...back to Jesus. Let us all be obedient and run (not walk or delay) back to Jesus and be like Mary and sit at His feet...spending time in His presence listening and learning. Many blessings to each and everyone of you. Make you take the time to sit with our wonderfully Creative Creator re-learning the foundational teachings, seeing His big picture. Hugs

Life is but a vapor

God puts people in our lives to teach us things about ourselves, but also as His hands and His feet to mold and make our lives. April of 1998 God put a dear woman in my life. Dora Jean Carson, of whom I knew as Jeannie. She became my sister-in-law officially on September 19th, 1998. But she was my new friend in April. She opened her home and heart to me readily and we became good friends as well as family.

This week my beloved sister-in-law graduated and is now residing with Christ in heaven. She didn't face any challenge in life with fear, but with faith in the staying power of her Lord, Savior, Beloved Friend & Bridegroom King. Two weeks ago she was rushed to the hospital and was released this past Saturday. We spoke with her son Tuesday night and she was improving, Wednesday morning she was no longer here on earth with us. I am reminded that life is just a vapor, gone in an instant and we never know the day or hour; but that we need love and live like we never have before. Our days are full of opportunities to be God's hands & feet and we shouldn't waste a minute.

My heart is saddened at the loss here on earth of her sweet smile, her warm heart so generous and full of hospitality. She never knew a stranger and saw every opportunity to demonstrate God's love and compassion. She was bold in her faith and was never afraid to share the Gospel with anyone. I know she is a deposit in heaven, someone to cheer me on and pray for me daily.

I love you, Jeannie, my dearest sister and friend. You will be forever missed at the family functions, but you shall never be forgotten. Thank you for showing me the love of God like I have never seen it before, I pray I can pick up the torch you dropped Wednesday and to carry it on. You also showed me a mother's love and devotion to her children which was lacking in my own life. You saw the good in everyone and always pulled on the giftings of God in me; helping me to become the person I am at this moment. I will miss our discussions over a cup of coffee, sharing our faith and new revelations. Save a seat for me for I know I shall see you on the other side and you can show me your mansion when I get there. Give the Father & Jesus a big hug for me.

Facts vs. Truth

I have been quite busy these days. Separating facts from the truth. Just a personal observation, but facts change based upon a person's perception, education, environment, etc. But the Truth, well, He doesn't change. Jesus said "I AM the Truth, the Life, the Way. Jesus is the very embodiment of God, He became flesh to be with man and like the Father, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. That means HE doesn't change.

Fact is, there are many "religions" out there for people to explore and experience. Truth is there is only ONE God, ONE Son, ONE Holy Spirit...ONE Truth. I pray eyes are opened, spirits are refreshed and Jesus, THE TRUTH, becomes known and is known by those in relationship with Him. Want to know more about Jesus...start with the Bible and the book of John. Many hugs!

Where I've Been

For the 2 that follow my blog, I am sure you have been asking the question "where are you and when are you going to post?" I have been busy seeking God and in prayer. I have been following the blog of the Kipp family and have been doing some major prayer to get them through this leg of the journey. For new folks....go to www.welovecarter.blogspot.com and you can read all about the Kipp family and their journey for a liver transplant for their son Carter. Shout out to the Kipps, many hugs dearest family & go Carter go!

I find that the local assembly I gather with is getting many requests for prayer in the areas of healing & transplants. So fellow prayer warriors keep a little boy named Logan in your prayers. He is a dearest friend's nephew and he has had many surgeries for brain tumors....he is scheduled for surgery again on August 21st. It is believed his mommy, Dawn, may have the same condition that causes tumors to grow in the brain, but she won't go have it checked out nor surgery done. Sounds to me some sort of generational curse thing going on, so help me pray and break this off this family.

Another one is a dear woman named Belinda who needs a kidney transplant. Many things need to fall into place for Belinda, so please pray and surround her family with prayer. Please pray a donor comes forth that will be a perfect match and that the kidney will become one with Belinda's body. There have been so many medical advances in this type of transplant. God is so moving amongst the medical community!

Now onto what I have been seeking God on. Well about 2 years ago God spoke to me to prepare a room for my stepson as he was coming to live with his father & I. I had kept it in prayer and was trying to sort out stuff that was stored in the second bedroom of a mobile home we were living in. Needless to say trailers don't have a long life expectancy! This trailer was falling apart as fast as we could make repairs, so I started seeking the Lord as to what His plan and His best was for our family and the word HE gave me. Some of you may cry out "stone her!" but hang on. God's words says we have not because we ask not! So I started asking...God what is the next step? Do I stay in what seems to be a money pit (as I bought the place on contract and it was mine 100%) or are You setting us up to move? If we are moving here is what I see we need in a new place, but is truly is of YOUR choosing. It is ok to pray for a new home and to specific with what your need is. Yes God knows your need before you do, but like any good parent God likes it when you ask for it. God is so awesome and He orchestrated our family relocating to the next county in a beautiful new to us home. This home is an older home that was remodeled and it had everything me & God talked about for the past 2 years!

Today is the day my beloved stepson comes to live with us! He is expected to arrive sometime this afternoon. He is his mother's firstborn and I am sure it is rough for Nadine to send him to us, so pray she will find peace in knowing he is coming into a home of love and he won't be denied any visitation with her. Nadine and I have a good relationship, we communicate well with one another concerning B and life in general. So help me pray her through this part of the transition. I am not sure if this is just for this school year, or if B will finish out his education here. But I know this is rough on Nadine.

I have been seeking God and His presence to make ready for this next part of the journey. Having a 15 yr old coming in to my life to help mold and make. I am prayerful that Dad & I can help him through these years of his life....hormones changing and girls, peer pressure and grades. Such a rough time in a young man's life and we are prayerful that our life will be a good example before him.

Well I must dash to get ready for church. Many hugs, many thanks for prayer. May God bless the 2 that follow this blog! ;o) But may He also bless each and everyone that finds this blog in the vastness of cyberspace!

Seeds of Revival & the Hurts of Jesus

I would like to say this past week has been a good one, it wasn't but in some sense it was. Sunday started off good. I got my usual time with the Father in word and prayer before the house awoke with the business of breakfast & showers before church. Sunday service praise and worship were awesome, I believe we did touch God's heart and made Him blush. Pastor's message was a good one about stinky people and how church is to respond to them. I got some prayer after service for strength to get through all the negative stuff at work. Everything was fine until......until I lost my temper with someone I hold dear to my heart, then everything went down hill from there. I had spent 3 days in tears and prayer, battling the nasty spirits of offense and pride. If you are wondering if I won....well the battle belongs to the Lord and my part was just to submit to His authority and let Him do the work within me.

I haven't read much this past week, it has been mostly prayer and seeking the Lord within prayer. To me prayer isn't speaking flowery words spoken to impress God or others; prayer to me is communicating with the Lord....speaking honestly what is in my heart and then the silent wait and the listening for when He speaks. So I hadn't read much of my devotionals....oh I kept up somewhat with the Daily Bread, but Oswald Chamber's & Mr. Evan's laid on the desk untouched until this morning. It was W. Glyn Evan's devotional book that spoke volumes to me this morning when I played "catch up" on what I didn't read this week. Two days' devotionals spoke the most....Seeds of Revival & The Hurts of Jesus.

Seeds of Revival showed me what had happened this past week. Before you poo poo me, hang on and let me explain. Revival isn't the one week out of the year to have feel good services....true revival according to W. Glyn Evan's is "anything but pleasant, it is a searching, searing time when God's holiness burns hotly against our sins. It is know that God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29), knowing God's terror (2 Corinthians 5:11), and crying out "woe is me" (Isaiah 6:5)."

Mr. Evans goes on to explain "Revival has one chief aim--the removal of sin and the purifying of the believer. The message of revival is: What are you doing about your piled up sins? Revival is a sign that, because of His thinning patience, God has moved His people to confession. But it also means something else. God loves us so much that He is anxious to put us back int a right relationship with Himself. The seed of revival is the grief of the Holy Spirit; the confession of the people is the Spirit's grief vented. Only when the Spirit is "ungrieved" can blessing come"

Basically boiled down this past week is answer to prayer...some of it immediate answer which I need to learn to look for. I have prayed that God search my heart and transform me into Jesus' bride. God is reviving me in the true sense of the word. God is searching and searing, purifying me from sins of the flesh & world. Some where I grew dull hearing His voice...so He is shaking everything that can be shaken within me to get me to a new place, a new level of intimacy and hearing. Somewhere I gave place to anger and bitterness. The Spirit part of me wants to get there and quickly, but the fleshly part of me is trying to fight....so I am nailing my feet once again to His cross, I am nailing one hand and then handing the hammer to Him to nail the other. If you have a few moments free, please pray for me, I can use all the prayer I can get these days.

The Hurts of Jesus is another devotional from Mr. Evans. "Only human beings can become morally & spiritually better because of their pain. Unless I suffer grief, I am not likely to grow into a mature disciple of Christ. One of the greatest disappointments You can suffer, Lord, is to see me battle my griefs and yet not become better." Mr. Evans goes on to say "Jesus wounded Simon Peter with a look that drove him to tears, he wept bitterly (Luke 22:62). To be hurt by Jesus is the most exquisite hurt conceivable. The hurts of Jesus, if I accept them properly are the healings of tomorrow. I need His hurting to cauterize the shallow and superficial in my life."

The definition of disciple is a disciplined follower. I can honestly say I have been hurt by Jesus this week. I have been humiliated and humbled....no I won't go into details because to do so would be gossip. But I will say I surrendered. I keep surrendering to the Holy Spirit and what He is accomplishing in me and soon through me. I have been reaching out to my Lord, seeking to be a true disciple. Now I am being disciplined to follow. When one thinks of discipline their minds immediately recall a time when Mom or Dad spanked them. True discipline is focused on the child; about correcting & directly the child in the way he/she should go. So even though I got a "God spanking" this week, I know His focus is on me...on correcting my walk & relationship with Him...a course correction if you will for this journey.

One last thought...be careful what you ask for....you will eventually get it! Make sure you are ready to receive what you ask of God. His word promises that if you ask for bread He won't give you a stone, but give you exactly what you are asking for. Sometimes it will come by surprise upon you, but it always comes in His perfect timing. It won't ever look like what you imagined either, but will be orchestrated by His perfect design.

Lessons from a tree & a little boy named Carter

Ok so this might appear an unusual post, but heck my life is anything but usual. A couple months back we had some nasty storms rip through where I live. What once was a mighty maple tree was now a heaping mass of tree. But there were many lessons to learn from this tree. Ephesians 3:14-19 gives us some of the lessons of my tree...I won't post the scripture here, but encourage every reader to seek for him/herself!

One of the things I noticed about this tree is that it had a tremendous root system. When it came down it didn't come down because of bad roots! Half of the truck is still standing upright in the ground. Ephesians 3:17-18 "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you , being rooted & grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height..." We should be like that tree...firmly and well rooted in Jesus, in love. God is the embodiment of of love and so is His Son Jesus. John 3:16 "For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus." Did you catch that...God loved us so much He gave His Son, created in love, to be a love sacrifice for us.

The tree when it was upright and thriving had a good root system that provided plenty of nourishment for that tree. The soil must have been pretty rich for it to have gotten that big. How is your root system today? Are you firmly rooted and grounded in Christ, the good soil of which you get plenty of nourishment? Or are you rooted and grounded in this unstable world, which is not so nourishing to one's soul?

Second thing I noticed about this tree....it's hollow! Yep a good wind came along and because this tree didn't have enough substance it blew right over. It was virtually snapped in half in an odd way. But if you look at the stump remaining and start looking up into the tree it is hollow. Ephesians 3:19 "to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be FILLED with the FULLNESS of God." We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit & Christ. What are you filled with today? Are you filled with the Holy Spirit, Christ, the very word of God? Or are you filled with you & what this crazy world has to offer?

Third thing I have noticed about this tree....because it's root system was/is so strong, there are shoots coming up! Yes this old tree is persevering to survive! It has a never die attitude and there are several new trees coming off of the old dead one. Ephesians 6:17-18 "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer & supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." Knowing in our minds that we ARE saved and the children of God, exercising HIS word in our lives, our work place, our community....praying ALWAYS. Did you catch that...we are to be praying always, not just when we need something but always talking with the Father, persevering in this daily life to become more like Christ and to be the example of Christ to this world. Are you running the race to win the prize? Or have you given up because of a leg cramp? I may be limping at times, but I am still persevering to run this race and obtain that glorious prize! Come jog/run/or walk with me a bit!

The lessons I learned from a boy named Carter Kipp. Carter is a sweet angelic boy in California that is persevering and daily winning his battle with liver cancer. I follow his family blog daily....just click on the link and pray! Carter is barely 2 years old and although I don't know him personally and have been following his progress via this wonderful thing called the internet; I have learned some lessons from him. So this next portion of my blog is dedicated to this wonderful young warrior & his loving family. Thanks Carter & Kipp family for continually teaching me in the midst of your storm...Hugs!

The first lesson I have learned from this young warrior is not to complain. This sweet boy has a tube coming out of his chest that his parents pump medicine into several times a day. I think it is called an IV line, but heck I am no nurse. This boy has been through several rounds of chemo, been sicker then a dog, yet hasn't complained or grumbled. This sweet spirit has just tried to smile and persevere through it all. In all the pictures I have seen there has been a smile, yes a weak one at times, but a smile nonetheless.

Second lesson I have learned from this young warrior and his brother Bennett is unconditional love. Kira, Carter's mom, posts regularly Carter's progress but also how both boys are interacting in the midst of this. Carter is a loving sweet boy, who in spite of his own issues has concern for his bigger brother when he scraped his knee. Bennett has been tender and careful playing with his brother. Reading their stories shows you the love & bond these 2 have for one another...something we adults who have been hardened by the world could stand to learn again. We can learn how to be tender and caring once again for our brothers and sisters in Christ, but also for the lost.

Lord, keep healing Carter, keep shrinking that tumor until it is non existant. Holy Spirit pour out your horns of healing & joy over, into and through not only Carter but this family as a whole. Let all weariness be removed from this family in Jesus' mighty name. Father open the windows of blessing & provision over this family. Father Your word says You will meet all our needs...meet all of the Kipp family's needs emotionally, spiritally, physically, & financially in Jesus' mighty name. Amen

Dear reader, I encourage you to click on the link for "We Love Carter". Go read this touching blog and take up the burden of prayer for this family. If you can afford a cup of coffee, take that money and send it on to the family for financial help.....it may seem like a dollar or a few cents in your hands, but God can and will multiply it for the Kipp family's use and God's own glory.

God's Pesticide

God has really been talking a lot about gardens to not only me but to my Pastors as well. It shouldn't be too much of a surprise considering He did speak "be fruitful and multiply" at the first of the year. We have been doing a study of the Song of Solomon and God refers to us & our hearts as His private garden, a locked garden for Him and Him alone to enjoy.

Last week's post was about planting your garden and some of the things God desires in the gardens of our hearts. Feel free to go back to read it and refresh yourself. This week was exquisite agony again as God rolled out His pesticide for our gardens.

If you remember from previous post(s) in Galatians 5:16-26 we discovered some of the bad fruit or weeds that our garden can produce if we live in the flesh. The flip side to that is 1Corintians 13....God's pesticide. I am not typing it all out....I am going to let you go read it for yourself....it will do you good I promise!

Anyway to paraphrase the beginning verses talk about having gifts and doing good things but if we don't have love....God's love in us....it is nothing and for not. Then it gets to the pesticide part....verse 4..."Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious....etc." GO READ IT...anyway if we have HIS perfect love in us and compelling us to keep moving, keep serving then the weeds or bad fruit of Galatians 5:16-26 has no place to grow.

So now I am reading Galatians 5 & 1Corinthians 13. Checking my garden and weeding as necessary. You can learn a lot about your garden by looking at a garden in the natural, then corolating it to the spirit realm. Well I must dash...happy gardening!

How to Plant Your Garden

Good morning and Happy Mother's Day! Today's post is going to be a bit different. I have been up before the dawn reading my devotionals and putting lunch in the crock pot. Pastors are away for a much needed rest and vacation and have asked me to bring forth the message this morning. It won't be a traditional Mother's Day sermon, but it was a God inspired one. It is below, please read, enjoy and have a truly blessed Mother's Day!

How To Plant Your Garden

Song of Solomon 2:11-12 "For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over & gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land."

At the end of winter most people start thinking about 1 thing and no, I am not talking about mushrooms. They get Ecclesiastes 3:2 minded. "A time to be born, and a time to die, A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted." Specifically the time to plant, they start thinking and planning a garden. At the first of the year God called us to be fruitful and to multiply. In essence He was speaking it is time to once again to tend the gardens of our hearts.

Stacey & I have been talking a lot about our garden...the one in the natural that we are going to plant. We have been planning out what vegetables we would like in our garden. I have to admit Stacey has been a bit more pro-active about it then I, she has already bought a few plants & seeds. I, in the meantime, have been trying to get a tree out of the yard because it is covering part of where we have planned on putting the garden.

Any good gardener knows that the first thing past the planning stage to be done is to till the garden and remove all the stones in the garden to prepare the soil to receive the seeds and seedlings that will be planted. God has been tilling the gardens of our hearts lately; turning the soil and revealing the stones in our hearts. Galatians 5:19-21 Amplified reads "Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, enmity (contentions), strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper) selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), envy drunkenness, carousing and the like." I believe that the works of the flesh spoken in Galatians 5:19-21 are the stones God is revealing in the process of our gardens.

Galatians 6:7 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." Job 4:8 "Even as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same." We know that if we plant a seed of corn in our gardens we can expect corn. Let's look at some of the things we need to be "sowing" or planting in our hearts so God can reap and receive a bountiful harvest of fruit in our lives.


For the garden of your daily living plant three rows of peas:

The first step in a fruitful garden is in Mark 12:30 "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment." If you don't love God you won't want to even cultivate and change the garden of your heart.

1) Peace of mind - Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts you."
If we keep our minds focused on God HE will keep us in perfect peace.

2Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." A sound mind is a mind at peace, not worried or shaken by what is going around them, but focused on God and trusting Him.

2) Peace of heart - Proverbs 4:4 "He also taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live." We can have peace in our hearts if we hold fast to God's word and not let it be hardened with offense and strife.

John 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me." If we truly believe that God & His word are true, if we just trust Him we can have peace in our hearts.

3) Peace of soul - Psalm 103:1-2 "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." When our hearts and minds are saturated with the Word of God, it leaves no room for sorrow in the soul, only rejoicing.

Plant 4 rows of squash:

1) Squash Gossip - Per Dictionary.com gossip is defined as:

–noun
1. idle talk or rumor, esp. about the personal or private affairs of others.
2. light, familiar talk or writing, small talk, hearsay.

–verb (used without object)
6. to talk idly, esp. about the affairs of others; go about tattling.

Matthew 13:36 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgement. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemmed." Gossip breeds division and strife. Hearsay is inadmissible in a court of law...it should also be inadmissible in our day to day lives. A person's view of others can be clouded by another's gossiping their own offenses, hurts and impressions.

2) Squash indifference - Dictionary.com defines indifference as:

–noun
1. lack of interest or concern.
2. unimportance; little or no concern
3. the quality or condition of being indifferent.
4. mediocre quality; mediocrity.

Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Romans 13:8 "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." Romans 13:10 "Loves does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Hebrews 10:24 "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works." We should be continually concerned & interesting in our brothers and sisters. We should be attuned to one another's needs and interested in meeting those needs. Times are vastly upon us when we will have no one to depend upon other then God and each other. Indifference also breeds strife and division.

3) Squash grumbling - Dictionary.com defines grumble as:

–verb (used without object)
1. to murmur or mutter in discontent; complain sullenly.
2. to utter low, indistinct sounds; growl.
3. to rumble: The thunder grumbled in the west.

God gives us good examples of what not to do in His word! Remember the children of Israel....they grumbled and died in the wilderness. Remember "complain & remain, praise & be raised." Grumbling only breeds division, strife, gossip in our lives....bad fruit!

4) Squash selfishness - Dictionary.com defines selfishness as:

–adjective
1. devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.
2. characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself: selfish motives.

In Galatians 5:19 Selfishness is one of the fruits of the flesh, which, if not checked and removed can cause division, strife, jealousy and a whole host of other rotten fruits! Instead let us apply Galatians 6:10 "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." Look for opportunities to help one another.

Plant 4 rows of Lettuce:

1) Lettuce be faithful - Dictionary.com defines faithful as:
–adjective
1. strict or thorough in the performance of duty.
2. true to one's word, promises, vows, etc.
3. steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; constant.
4. reliable, trusted, or believed.
5. adhering or true to fact, a standard, or an original; accurate


Psalm 31:23 "Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person."

Proverbs 13:17 "A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful ambassador brings health."

Proverbs 28:20 "A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished."

2) Lettuce be kind - Ephesians 4:31-32 "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

3) Let us be paitent - Ecclesiastes 7:8 "The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."
1Thessalonians 5:14 "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all." Patience, forgiveness and acts of goodness must prevail between all as Christ is patient, forgives and does acts of goodness for us.

James 5:7-8 "Therefore be patient, breathren until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer wiats for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."

4) Lettuce really love one another - Mark 12:31 "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" Genuine love of God is followed in importance by a genuine love for people.

No garden is complete without turnips:

1) Turnip for meetings - Hebrews 10:24 "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as in the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Collective and corporate worship is a vital part of the spiritual life...remember there is strength in numbers! A house divided cannot stand...when we worship corporately the heavens open up like Tuesday night.

2) Turnip for service - If there is a job to be done, don't talk about it, step up and do it. If you see a need meet the need especially in the growing days.

3) Turnip to help one another - It has been said many times, in the days coming we will be finding ourselves relying on one another more and more. Don't be afraid or too selfish to reach out and help one another. If we can be fruitful within our own body, how much more fruitful can we be to this world?

Another important component in our garden is Thyme

1) Thyme for God - Matthew 6:33 "But seek FIRST the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." What things you ask...go back to verses 31-32 "Therefore do not worry saying 'What sahll we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly FAther kows that you need all these things." There have been times in my walk with God that I needed these things....food and clothing. Only God knew of my need and I sought Him diligently and He brought everything I needed. Bags of clothes with tags still on them from the store...I haven't missed one single meal, He has been faithful to increase my buying power so I can feed others. Which leads me to the second Thyme...

2) Thyme for others - Matthew 5:1r416 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put in under a basket, but on lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." We are to share with others the Gospel of Christ and we can't do that if we don't take time for others, reaching out.

3) Thyme for friends - Again we are the light of the world. Some of our friends are "christians" some are not, but if we don't take time for others we are just a lamp under a basket. Get out of yourself and get out and help others.

Preventative maintenance of the garden calls for watering your garden with the Living Water, Christ Jesus and the washing of the word. The garden needs nutrients so it is best to use the right fertilizer & plant food. What are you feeding the garden of your heart? Bitterness, anger, resentment, offense? Feed your garden with the word & presence of God and you will have fruit like in Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Holy Spirit (the work which His presence accomplishes) is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is not law (that can bring a charge).

Weeds are detrimental to the growth of your garden. They steal precious nutrients & water from the other plants in the garden. Proverbs 4:23 "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." Some weeds like morning glories, although quite pretty when they bloom, will choke out the life of the plants in the garden with them. Be mindful of what plants are in your garden and weed, weed, weed as God reveals.

Proverbs 14:30 "A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones."

Hosea 10:12 "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."

Purity & Holiness

God has really been moving & shaking my world....or should I say my world as I know it. He spoke Galatians 5:16-26 to the flock I abide with but also to His bride at large. God is really calling for His bride to get real and get ready. When one does a self exam based upon Galatians 5:16-26 it can be a bit disheartening...especially if you read it in the Amplified version.

vs. 19-21 "Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious); they are immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions) heresies, envy, drunkenness, carousing and the like." Now impurity isn't just sexual....it could be impurity in thoughts, thinking things that are not godly like how you want to slap someone for being stupid. When you get to the bottom of all these "fleshly" qualities and how they relate to relationships in your life, it becomes painfully clear that you don't measure up once again....well at least that is what happened to me this past week. I felt mournful that I wasn't pleasing to my Lord, but also rejoiceful in the fact that even though this was a slap to my flesh God was still speaking to me. I would rather He speak and I get rebuked then Him to be totally silent and I am left wondering about my salvation and losing my relationship with Him. To be honest I have felt angry lately for what seemed no apparent reason, but when I worked my steps of anger management and got to the bottom line I found out the reason I was angry was because my flesh didn't get it's way.

Then this morning during devotional time, I got a bit of wisdom that helped. "Daily With the King" by W. Glyn Evans gave me some relief from this brick bashing I have been doing to myself...YES I am my own worst enemy! Today's devotional was titled "Flubs, Flaws & Brittleness"
"I must not be disheartened when I flub my spiritual life. A lot of my flubs are not sins, just mistakes and mistakes are the marks of immaturity & greenness." Ok I agree a bit with Mr. Evans' statement just a tad....let's be honest when you know you shouldn't do something and yet you continue on and do it....it is sin. We can't blame it on immaturity as we were told and yet still did it. Mr. Evans goes on....
"As a disciple of Jesus Christ I must believe in progressive satisfaction. When God begins a work,the result thereof must be HIS satisfaction. His creation was very good. He viewed the work of His Son on Calvary and was satisfied. So I believe He is progressively satisfied with His work in His children, especially His growing children. This does not mean that our condition at a given moment is perfect morally, but it means that, like a potter, He is satisfied with our progress."

Again I agree with Mr. Evans' statement, but I believe He is satisfied with our progress if we are progressing. If we take what He gives us as a "course" correction, digest it and allow it to change us from the inside out. This is what I have been doing this week....examining myself with the measuring stick of His word. Searching out any roots of bitterness, anger, impurity, etc. and using His Holy Ghost weed killer on them. Am I a spotless bride yet? Heck no, but I am taking every word I hear....I grab a hold of it and I digest it. The word may or may not be for me personally, but I figured anything the Lord says either through a prophet, a prophetic word spoken in service, or something that I see in a new way in His word is something to nourish my spirit in one way or another. That is what Pastor was speaking about a bit today...taking words that are spoken and digesting them and allowing them to change you. Not to hear a word and just put it aside and then when trouble comes eat that word because it might be poisonous to you and cause more harm then good....kind of like the children of Israel and the manna.

To hear His voice, whether a word of encouragement or correction I don't care which as long as I can still hear His voice I know I will be alright. Two times in one day this past week He spoke, "I will never leave nor forsake you". It was a timely word as I hit a rough patch with my finances, the enemy tried to steal my lunch money, but I gave the enemy a black eye in turning it over to the Father for collection. God loves me. I AM the apple of His eye. He will NEVER leave nor forsake me. He might be silent in an effort for me to push in and seek Him more, but He is just a breathe and heartbeat away....closer then a brother. Big Hugs, Have a good week!

A Soldier in the Army of God

Pastor read the following this morning and I wanted to post it here. I don't know who wrote it but it is something I desire to become part of me. Experts say a habit (good or bad) takes 21 days to be developed....yep this is my daily read for the next 21+ days! If anyone wants to copy this...go for it, I just have one little request....please leave it intact and react to it whole hearted, let it become who you are in Christ.

A Soldier in the Army of God

I am a soldier in the army of God! The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer. The Holy Bible is my code of conduct. Faith, prayer & the Word of God are my weapons of warfare.

I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity and tested by fire! I am a volunteer in this army, and I am enlisted for eternity.

I will either retire in this army at the Rapture...or die in this army...but I will not get out, sell out, be talked out, or pushed out!!!

I am faithful, reliable, capable, and dependable. If my God needs me, I am there! If he needs me in Sunday school, to teach children, work with the youth, help adults or just sit and learn, He can use me because I am there. I am a Soldier!

I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed up, pumped up, picked up, or pepped up! I am a Soldier.

No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me. I am a Soldier!

I am NOT a wimp! I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name and building His kingdom.

No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy or give me handouts. I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, or catered to. I am a Soldier!

I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around. I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside. I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit. When Jesus called me into this army, I had nothing. If I end up with nothing, I will still come out even! I will will!

My God will supply ALL my needs. I am more than a conqueror. I will ALWAYS triumph! I can do ALL things through Christ!!!

Devils cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me. Weather cannot weary me. Sickness cannot stop me. Battles cannot beat me. Money cannot buy me. Governments cannot silence me and HELL CANNOT HANDLE ME!!!!

I AM A SOLDIER!!! Even death cannot destroy me! For when my Commander calls me from this battlefield, He will promote me to a Captain and then bring me back to rule this world with Him!

I AM A SOLDIER, marching, heaven bound! Here I stand!

WILL YOU STAND WITH ME???

Being Real

I ran into a friend & former co-worker that I haven't seen in wow 3 years! We stood outside the gas station talking and he told me to be behave myself. I told him that would be easy and he just laughed and said uh huh like he didn't believe me. But it got me thinking nonetheless. Am I the real deal...transparent before God and man? I like to think so.

The Father's word says confession is good for the soul...so with that in mind I must confess I got behind in my reading....4 days worth of devotions due to life crowding in....yet fodder for another blog. Thank goodness I get up early on Sundays, I read all 4 days worth and there were 2 from Daily Bread that stuck out and got me to thinking again about my encounter with Darrin. When people see me, do they see the real deal? Am I truly the same in day to day life like I am in church... or do I put on that wonderful "church" face just on Sundays?

Both devotionals centered around the same basic scripture but in different books of the Bible. The first one referenced Matthew 15:1-9 (go read it) and the devotion was about hypocrisy. How "non-christians" point out hypocrisy they see in us christians and use that as their excuse not to seek out God....but funny thing is the "non-christians" are really agreeing with God....check it out in verses 8-9 "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." In this section of scripture the Pharisees were admonishing Jesus' disciples because they didn't wash their hands before the meal. The true law concerning washing was for the Levite priests to wash their hands before consuming the holy offering, but man changed it to suit himself. Ugh that flesh thing!

The second devotion referenced Mark 7:5-15 (again go read it), this was also the same senario but Mark's telling of it. This devotion was about lip service and being phony before God in worship.

My life day to day should be a testimony of God and His love sprinkled with my worship and love for Him for all to see. I should be a transparent open book for others to read. My Pastor said it one time before, if all the Bibles in the world were banned and disappeared what Bible would the non-christians have to read but your very life before God. I got to reading other people's blogs and pondering my question before God. Am I a hypocrite & do I give lip service or am I truly transparent before Him and others??........then faithful as He always is, He reminded me of a posting someone put on their blog about me and I had my answer.

Are you the real deal? Or are you like the Pharisees, dealing out God's law according to man on Sunday and living like hell Monday-Saturday? When you do go to church, are you worshipping out of your heart truthfully before God? Do you really mean those words you are singing or is it just lip service? Well beloveds, we christians are the Bible for most folks....open yourselves up and let others read what God has done in your lives and how God has loved you at your worst. Is this a vulnerable place to be? Yep....let's face it not every book in your public library is liked by everyone. But it is an awesome place to be as it is SO much less work being real then pretending. Have a blessed day in the Lord and thanks for sharing this journey with me.

Living Word

I have been sick the past few days and hadn't been able to focus very well, but this morning I am feeling better and I sat with my Lord & devotionals this morning in the sunshine. I am working through 3 devotionals daily....The Daily Bread, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, & Daily With the King by W. Glyn Evans. I read and I ponder...today's pondering comes from Daily With the King, "When Jesus Becomes Incarnational"

John 1:1-2 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." WHO was the word? Jesus, Himself, gave us the answer when He said, "I AM the word, the truth, the life." Let us rephrase what God said...."in the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God." Jesus is the Word......the Living Word.

Back to Mr. Evan's thoughts "Jesus did not write a textbook about theology, He lived it. John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." I know of another instance that the breathe of God became flesh....Adam. It has been referred that Jesus is the second Adam....but that is fodder for another blog ;o). One of the things we Christians should be doing, not out of duty but out of love for God, is being in the Word. I just love it when God gives me "word" plays......we are to be in the Word. We are to be reading and living the Word of God.....but we are also supposed to be in the Word....in Jesus. I can hear the calls to the nut house already....hang up your phone, put down your stone, take a seat and let me finish HIStory....don't you just love that word play HIStory. Let's do a little scripture diving....hey don't take my word for it, grab your bible and follow along.....

1John 4:7-16 Don't frown, this is a bit long of a read but ALL things work for HIS glory and our good and this will surely be good for you. Did you check out verse 9? "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." How about verses 12-13? "No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected (matured) in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." Still not convinced?? Keep reading down to verse 15 "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God." Now go back to our beginning verse....ha don't you love that play on words...beginning verse....John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."

Did you catch it? Are you in the Word daily getting your portion? Are you allowing the Word to become active and change the life you are living? Remember we are not our own, we were bought with a price, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Today's thought brings back a song I heard from the Rock Church in Baltimore...."Mark My Life" Mark my life, mark my life, so all will know I am Yours, cause a flood of Your glory, to fill all those around me, & mark my life with Your love." I encourage you dear reader to allow God to mark your life with HIS love & HIS Word. Have a blessed day!

It Ain't Over Til the Fat Lady Sings & I ain't singing it!

Pastor gave an unusual Easter sermon today...but hey my pastor isn't the conventional type. He preached on the status of your napkin. Ok before you gather stones and start googling where I live and worship...pull up a stump and listen to my story as granny would say.

It all started with Pastor handing out some paper napkins to each one of us with instructions of unfolding it and setting it close to be handy. You see there is a Hebrew custom that if one isn't done eating the diner would fold his/her napkin and lay it by his/her plate. This was a signal to the servant's that the diner wasn't done and not clear his/her plate.

Pastor went on to read the "normal" Easter scriptures...John 19:28-30, John 20:1-7, John 14:1-14. He went on to say that when Jesus died on the cross and was buried in the tomb but His story and our story wasn't over. Jesus wasn't finished and neither should we be. Check it out...John 20:6-7 " Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself." Did you catch that?? The handkerchief, some translations read "napkin" was folded together in a place by itself. Jesus wasn't and isn't done. Hallelujah!

In a boxing match, when the fighter is wearing thin from the match and the trainer wants to stop the fight, the trainer throws in the towel. So what are you going to do with your napkin? was Pastor's question. He said it was a personal choice and there wasn't any shame in our wadding up our napkin as long as we didn't throw it away. A friend of mine made his choice a couple of years ago, he confessed that this christian walk was harder then he could bear. Yes he has stepped away from the Lord, but he didn't hide his wadded up napkin so to speak. He didn't pretend his walk with God was ok, while inside he was moving further and further from God. God is calling him back I am pleased to say....pray with me that "Jason" will heed the call of the Lord and return!

So....I am sure you are wondering about my napkin. Well beloved if you are wondering I would highly suggest you read the previous posts of this blog. This "fat" lady isn't going to sing the song of the quitter! My napkin is pressed within the pages of my bible. It is now my bookmark, a reminder to not give up, to not quit & throw in the towel coz Jesus surely isn't done with me yet & I still have a lot to do for Him.

Speaking of "return to the Lord". I heard a song by Pablo Perez from the International House of Prayer....awesome song. I can't get it out of my head nor my heart. I heard this song about 2-3 weeks ago and it has been a prayer on my lips since. That this nation will return to her Lord God, that individuals would return to the Lord God. I pray those that don't know of Jesus and His love for them will come to know Him. I pray that those who have turned their backs on God will return, that their hearts be set ablaze with passion for Jesus like never before. I have been praying this humble blog will reach millions for my Lord & King. I have been praying...........

Resurrection Morning

I am an early riser by nature it seems. I never was one to sleep in to noon. This morning when I rolled over in bed at 6:50 a.m. I had a song in my heart and on my lips....Alleluia He is Risen, Alleluia He is here! A song I heard & sang on my Emmaus walk. For those who don't know what that is...well all I can say is it is a weekend encounter with Christ. For those who know DeColores, He is Risen indeed.

I know I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, it is because I have been busy. Not so much with earthly things such as work...that has been busy enough, thank You Jesus for the answers to prayer there. No beloveds I have been busy, pondering Christ's work on the cross in preparation of this Resurrection Morning.

This world got so independent from God....like little ones starting to realize they can do things on their own, we adults got bullheaded and independent from God. We decided that we knew ourselves better then the One that created us. The propensity to sin entered in with Adam, but we can't blame Adam for our own CHOICES. Boy that word has been ringing loudly to me for the past 2-3 years now....it is what I call the secret of life....CHOICE. Back to my train of thought, because of our own choices we got further and further away from God. God created us so He could have fellowship with us, not just so we could take care of everything He created, but to have fellowship with Him. But we allowed our choices to crowd out His voice, to take over time in His presence. Adam & Eve before the fall took time out in the cool of the evening to walk with God throughout the garden talking and getting to know one another better. Adam & Eve related to God in a personal way.

Today is a day many will come to church because it is Easter. But will they relate with what Christ accomplished on the cross. Back in the garden the first sacrifice was made for sin. Take a look at it in Genesis 3:21 "Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them." I did Beth Moore's God inspired study of the tabernacle, "A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place." Personally I thought it pertained to men as well and should have read A Child of God's heart, God's dwelling place, but I guess it was birthed during a women's conference and therefore got the distinction of a woman's heart....ah rabbit trailing again. Anyway it was an awesome study, but I got a chuckle from my friend who was leading the study. When she got to this scripture, she called me and asked about skinning an animal what happens to the animal. I was surprised, but also aware of her child like faith and honored she asked me the answer.

The answer was think about a dog or cat you love and have grown up with. Now think about pulling all it's skin off. You have pulled a hang nail before, it got deeper and deeper when you pulled and you bled. Well God had to mercifully dispatch (aka kill) the animal before He skinned it to make a covering for Adam & Eve. Here was the first blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin. Keep reading God's love letter & basic instructions, His Holy Word, the Bible. In Exodus/Leviticus He gives detailed instructions for the priests on what is required for a sin offering. The sacrifice of an animal and how the blood was to be sprinkled on the mercy seat and the horns of the altar.

Jesus is that sacrificial Lamb. Sin abounded in this world, but the grace & mercy of God abounded more. God sent His only Son, Jesus, to come into this world to teach the love and mercy of the Father. At the appointed time Jesus was broken & bruised for our iniquity (sin), He was hung on a cross like a common thief, He died upon that cross and was buried in a tomb for 3 days. On Resurrection Morning the stone was rolled away, not for Jesus to leave the tomb....He had already left, but for those coming to mourn Him could see He was no longer there.

It's Resurrection Morning....Jesus desires to resurrect your life from that of sin to one of grace. Grace isn't a gift from God....Grace is a gift of God. God is love, but He is also grace....so this gift isn't just something He gives, it is a part of Himself He graciously offers all of His children. Romans 5:17 "For if by the one man's (Adam's) offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." Though sin may abound more and more in this world (take a look at the news) so much more God's grace is abounding, overcoming that sin.

We are walking in the end times beloveds...make no mistake about that. It was declared on the news the other day that the US is no longer a "christian" nation. We haven't been standing up and doing what God has desired, we haven't been the example of Him before the world. We like the first children, Adam & Eve, have decided to do our "own thing" because we foolishly believe we know ourselves better then the one who created us. Oh God let Your never ending grace cover us today, may we all walk in Your grace fully understanding the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus to make that grace available to each and everyone of us. May we arise and fully walk in your resurrection power today and everyday until the final trumpet blows, in Jesus' mighty name, amen and amen and amen. Let it be according to your word.

Take time out today to spend it with God. For those that have video stores open in their community, go rent the Passion of the Christ, directed by Mel Gibson. Get a box of tissues on the way home, if your heart is tender and open to God you will need them. Watch this movie with the understanding that if you were the only person on earth, that Jesus would have endured all of it just for YOU. This is a very graphic and at times bloody movie, but it gives you a glimpse of what Jesus endured for you. When you get done watching the movie honestly ask yourself if anyone in your circle of friends or family would be willing to do that for you....you will find that there isn't anyone but Jesus who was willing to endure all of that just for you.

American Dream or Eternity

God is good! Tonight at service God showed up in a mighty way. I haven't felt His presence like this in a long time. He spoke tonight and I have to blog it before I forget it. He said "American Dream or Eternity". Pastor Stacey was behind the keyboard singing prophetically and it came out via song...."I don't want to live the American Dream, I am living for Eternity."

God quickened my spirit....what is the American Dream. To sum it up by the Bill of Rights it is "life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness." While this is all well and good....there are a few loopholes. Yes, loopholes....follow the train of thought that came to me if you will. Life per the American Dream is living to the fullest, but it is a brief fleeting thing. It can be snuffed without a moment's notice. It's living the dream of success and fortune....take a look at the news these days and you will see fortune and fame fade.

Jesus, on the other hand, left this home in heaven and died so we could have life abundantly. I have only tapped into a portion of the full meaning of this and I lead a pretty good life so far! I haven't gotten the fullness of the "abundant life", but I can assure you I live in a comfortable home and I haven't missed a meal. I have everything I need and nothing I want, but I am quite happy and content.

The American Dream says liberty...well what is liberty. Loosely translated, liberty is freedom. Yes in American thanks to others laying down their lives to fight for it, I presently have freedom....but again take a look at the book of Revelation & the news. The freedoms I have now are slowly but surely fading away. Soon it will be a one world economy and religion. Oh so soon we will all be forced to choose...take the mark or loose your head...I choose Jesus and refuse the mark right here and right now.

Jesus gives me boundaries yes...but oh the freedom within those fences! He gave me freedom from my sins. He has given me freedom from past hurts and disappointments. He gives me daily freedom from my flesh! The American Dream's freedom is fleeting away, but Jesus' freedom is a lasting freedom.

The American Dream says "pursuit of happiness"....did you get that...pursuit of happiness without the guarantee of happiness. And what exactly is happiness, is it just a feeling of joy? A brief moment of being content as when we get something we have wanted for a long time? Is it achieve by acquiring things to fill the void, the hole in our soul?

God promises that His joy will be our strength....note that joy! Joy is much more then a brief moment of feeling good. It is an internal knowing of the eternal promise of God's love & protection, of His provision and guidance. Joy is a lasting thing that can't be bought or sold, bargained or traded for. Joy is a free gift from God that has no limits and bounds.

I hear the Lord say, "choose you this day whom you are going to serve!" So serve the American Dream or the Eternal for eternity.....it's a no brainer choice for me. As for me and my house, I choose to serve the Lord, the Eternal One. Be blessed dear fellow bloggers and seekers of the Lord! May you as well choose well!

Two No Three Things I Learned About Me"

This week has been an interesting week for me. I learned 3 things about me...#1 I am a passionate person, #2 I am a sassy person, #3 God still loves me anyway! I am a passionate person in the fact that I love deep and when I commit myself to something I am one that sticks with it. I am passionate about my Lord. I also am passionate about helping those with addictions getting free, helping the homeless and feeding the hungry.

I am sassy....I don't hold back (to my detriment sometimes) with what I have to say. I say what I mean and I mean what I say...I don't mince words. Now sometimes that can be a good thing....especially in prayer dealing with the enemy. But sometimes it can be harmful to those around me and to me.

God still loves me anyway! God loves it that I am passionate about Him and the things of His heart. Matter of fact He delights in my passion and willingness to help others. God delights in the fact that I am sassy, that I don't back down when the enemy slings attacks at me. God delights that I use my sassyness for His kingdom.

There is a fine line that I am learning not to cross. I am learning who I am in Christ and what I was created for. Yes it kind of hurt when I was told I was sassy & passionate and how God wanted me to bridle that passion & sassyness so I can be bridal with passion & sassyness....there is such a subtle fine line. But then God used Oswald....isn't it interesting God using a gentlemen that wrote his own revelations many years ago to inspire and help me today. Oswald said "If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He doesn't ask you to make it right; He only asks you to accept the light of truth, and HE will make it right." I just have to confess that "yep that is correct" and then just BE. I have to confess my weaknesses and faults and the Holy Spirit will do the rest.

So world....my name is Bert, I am a child of the Most High God, Yaweh, and I am passionate as well as sassy. I confess that there are times in my life my passion gets the best of me and I tend to be sassy. I ask You, Holy Spirit, to redirect my passion & sassyness so I can be affective for my Father, my King, my Lord.

Yield the right of way

Gracious I have felt so out of control this past 2 weeks...I mean majorly out of control. It seems utter chaos at work, at home it seems like nothing I do or say is right with my spouse, & I have even been questioning my internal motive of following my Beloved Lord. So out of control to the point of tears & utter exhaustion physically & spiritually. And then Oswald.

I have an Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest" calendar on my desk. It gives me a scripture and Oswald's perspective of what he gleaned from each scripture...quite good yet quite piercing. It cuts me to the quick so many times but it is an exquisite hurt. The kind of hurt that hurts your heart that is so following God, but it isn't a physical pain such as a paper cut. This kind of hurt is a good hurt because it makes you question your own beliefs....do they really line up with the word & will of God or you own agenda.

I borrowed the book "My Utmost for His Highest" from my beloved shepherds & friends. They are such gracious Pastors....they love me unconditionally like Christ....still can't quite fathom why, but they do and they are always there to hear me out when I am out of control and help ground me and regroup me. I find myself thanking God for these 2 in my life. I pray everyone that reads this finds their own spiritual father & mother.....there is such a life of blessing when you do.....ah but that is another post....back to the one at hand.

Friday at work I discovered thanks to Oswald why I felt so out of control. Then I borrowed the book and got further insight....Thursday 3/12 was TOTAL SURRENDER - Mark 10:28 "Peter began to say to Him, 'See we have left all and followed You.'" Total surrender will always go beyond natural devotion. If we only give up, God will surrender Himself to embrace all those around us and will meet their needs, which were created by our surrender. Beware of stopping short of total surrender to God. Most of us only have a vi son of what this really means, but never have truly experienced it.

Friday 3/13 was GOD'S TOTAL SURRENDER TO US - John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave..." In our surrender, we must give ourselves to God in the same way He gave Himself for us -- totally, unconditionally, and without reservation. The consequences and circumstances resulting from our surrender will never even enter our mind, because our life will be totally consumed with Him."

Then came Saturday 3/14 YIELDING - Romans 6:16 "..you are that one's slave whom you obey.." The first thing I must be willing to admit when I begin to examine what controls and dominates me is that I am the one responsible for having yielded myself to whatever it may be. If I am a slave to myself, I am to blame because somewhere in the past I yielded to myself. Likewise, if I obey God I do so because at some point I yielded myself to Him."

So I haven't surrendered myself to Him, but I have yielded myself to myself. Ah the tricky "self" thing reappears in my life. Several years back the Lord prompted me to H (representing Him/Her) SELF....ok put it together HSELF....now spell it backwards FLESH....yep when we are working, operating in him/herself we are operating in flesh....but when we operate in Him we operate in Spirit....ugh...that flesh thing again. Somewhere I had yielded myself to my flesh again...the very enemy of my soul & spirit man! Where did I give into the wiles of my flesh? When? How? Then I read further.....

"No release or escape from it will ever come from any human power, but only through the power of redemption. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One who can break the dominating power in your life, namely the Lord Jesus Christ. " So here I am, back at what seems square one....back at the altar of sacrifice. You can't get to the Holy of Holies without first passing the altar of sacrifice....to lay your bull on the altar. Then it is onto the brazen laver, to be washed and cleansed. Then it was to the entryway into the Holy Place where the priests would put on their clean garments and enter in to minister to the Lord.

Back to the altar to lay my bull upon it. My independence, my pride, my self preservation, my fears, my need to feel superior..and so on and so on. Lord forgive me for selling myself so shortly by yielding to my flesh yet again. Help me Holy Spirit to die out yet again to my flesh...but this time help me to really kill it, not just to stun it. Help me to yield MY right of way for HIS will of way which is the right of way.

Is This True of Me?

Still walking and talking with my King daily. Last night's word came out His mouth piece, my Pastor, out of the Song of Solomon 2:10 "Rise up my love, my fair one". God has been and still is calling His bride to arise & shine....to get up from slumber and to get back to His business. He said "prepare it, be it". I have been hearing the Lord call me, not by my earthly name of Bert, but He has been calling me "Esther". Like I have stated before, He has been calling me that off and on....now it seems more on then off! I have been asking the Holy Spirit daily, "what pleases my Lord today?"

The Lord in essence last night was calling His corporate bride "Esther". We need to stop seeking what pleases us, what is "comfortable" for us and to heed His word....to "rise from our 'comfort zone' that we have been building and residing in...to shine forth HIS light, not our own glory stealing agenda & works. Time to stop building our own comfy kingdoms and get back to building His. Tough word, but a most definitely needed one. The time my friends & fellow journeymen is getting oh so short....time to quit playing games and thinking there is yet another tomorrow!

So....today's Oswald caught my eye. "Is This True of Me?" "None of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself...." Acts 20:24. Oswald writes "If I have not been seized by Jesus Christ and surrendered myself to Him, I will consider the time I decide to give God and my own ideas of service as dear. Never consider whether or not you are of use -- but always consider that "you are not your own", you are HIS (1 Corinthians 6:19)."

Wow there is that word once again resounding, I am not my own. Lord let me get this head knowledge planted deep within my heart. Let me not consider "my" ways above Your majestic ways. Let me not consider "myself" above You. Help me Holy Spirit to be totally committed & submitted to my Lord, Savior, Friend & Bridegroom in the mighty name of Jesus.

Tidbits on the Journey

I have been thinking about my engagement to the King of kings...wondering where did the time go, how did the transition happen and why did I miss it? Been getting a few tidbits here and there...what a better way to spend your Sunday then pondering those tidbits with Him!

I have looked at what it means to serve, but what is a friend. Yep consulted my friend Webster...don't you just love him and all his information....any who a friend is: a person attached to another by affection or esteem, a favored companion. His favored companion....yep sounds good to me. Favored -- having an appearance or features of a particular kind, endowed with special advantages or gifts, providing preferential treatment. Having an appearance or features of God, endowed by God with special advantages or gifts, provided by God preferential treatment. Aren't you glad you are God's favorite! Of course His word says He doesn't have favorites, but in an essence He most certainly does....His favorite is each and everyone of His created people...and God created us all so we all get to be His favorite...cool thought huh?

When we have a favored companion or friend we go out of our way to bless them. We do little things to make them smile and show them that we care. We look for and do things to help our friends. We are faithful and loyal to the things our friends put in our care....their thoughts, emotions, secrets, and sometimes personal possessions. Father God & Jesus take that same care for us, does little things to make us smile and bless us....a beautiful sunset that takes your breathe away, pinpointing out to us the Father's wonderful creation in the sight of a lone deer in a field on a foggy morning...ah majestic. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for His friends....He laid down His very life for them/us.

Somewhere I went from just a servant of God to being His friend. I didn't realize it but I was searching out the scripture to find things that He takes delight in like Esther. You know Esther went through 1 year of preparation for her one night with the King....she could wear whatever she chose to wear on her one night with the king....she could select the meal to be served...choose which jewelry to wear, what perfume to scent her bath with....but Esther chose only to wear what pleased the King, chose only to eat what pleased the King. Somewhere on my journey of serving Him, my desires and choices took a back seat....I started seeking out what pleased my Lord and Savior. I still seek daily ways to bless Him....I search my heart and sing the praises I find within...sometimes it doesn't sound much more then "I love You Lord" over and over and over again, but somehow it still manages to catch His attention, to bless Him and make Him blush. I was so focused on my Lord I missed the transition!

Now I am on the leg of the journey like Esther, the bridal preparation. I am reading a good book..."Completely His, Loving Jesus Without Limits" by Shannon Ethridge and I came across a passage that made me look upon communion with different eyes....from the eyes of the engaged. Ms. Ethridge writes "I saw a video series produced by Focus on the Family and narrated by biblical scholar Ray Vander Laan. Mr. Vander Laan explains that in biblical times a bride-to-be had a say in whether she would marry her potential groom. After he had negotiated a bridal price for her, the groom would seek her approval of the arrangement by pouring a cup of win and handing it to her. By this act, he was saying 'I offer you my life'. At that moment the potential bride had a decision to make. If she did not care to marry the man, she could refuse the cup. But if she was willing to marry him, she would take the cup and drink from it. By her actions, she was saying, 'I receive your life, and I give you mine in return.' Then preparations would begin for a wedding celebration, which included the grooms returning to his father's house to build an additional room where the marriage would eventually be consummated."

Think about the Last Supper....Jesus served the first communion. Jesus when offering the cup to His disciples was in essence saying "will you marry me?" I now look at communion from a different perspective....Jesus is asking me to marry Him and the cry of my heart is YES my Lord, YES. Jesus promised the disciples that He would prepare a place for them & you in John 14:1-3. How awesome is my Lord, that I am my Beloved's and His desire is towards me.

Lent & Sacrifices

I have been reading a few blogs and I feel I must put something on my own blog about Lent & sacrifices. Many religions observe Lent.....the 40+ days before Easter as a time of cleansing and reflection of what Christ accomplished on the cross. Many people ask me what "religion" I am, I tell them I have relationship.....religion is going through the motions, relationship is going through the emotions and really getting to know Jesus first as Savior, then Lord of one's life, then as Friend, and ultimately Bridegroom. But if I had to put a label on myself, it is Full Gospel. I don't observe the Lent season, but I do daily die out as God's word commands. I fast, pray, & spend time in the Secret Place with my Lord. I love to scripture dive, some call it reading God's word, but it is better then dumpster diving....you always come out of it with a precious nugget or two and smell a whole lot better then dumpster diving!

I have read a few blogs where folks are stating what they are giving up for Lent, and frankly I am saddened. It appears that man has taken God's command to fast, cleanse & purge oneself to a specific time line and have missed the whole point. God required a sacrifice for the people of the world's sin and He provided the perfect Lamb in His Son Jesus. If you ever watched The Passion of Christ, produced by Mel Gibson, then you get a pretty good idea of the depth of sacrifice Jesus made for you and me. The blogs I have read stated people where "going to go to church 1 day a week" as their Lent sacrifice. Granted they may have small children and at best I would call them going to church with small children an inconvenience at best, but not a sacrifice. We are commanded by God to "not forsake the assembly of believers" which means we should NOT forsake going and gathering with other believers. There is such strength and edification in attending church weekly. There is such love of the brethren that cannot be duplicated by any other activity....besides there is strength in numbers. The corporate anointing when believers gather for the right purpose, worshiping God, is so awesome and powerful it can put flight to ten thousand like God's word says.

According to my buddy Webster, to sacrifice is the forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a higher value or claim; the act of offering something in homage to. A sacrifice costs something....not necessarily monetarily, but it costs something. Going to church is an act of obedience, not a sacrifice by definition. In my opinion and by definition a proper sacrifice in this season of Lent would be "fasting" a favorite food or one meal a day.....fasting negative speech & attitudes (this one is a toughie....you would be surprised how much negative stuff we say about ourselves, others and life in general).....fasting a TV program we would hate to miss.....heck just shutting off the old TV and spending more time with God in prayer and scripture diving!

Man has taken the very essence of God's word and twisted it to conform to man's lifestyle and agenda. I think it is time for all "Christians" to get back into God's word, back on their knees and get back to the real meaning of what it means to be a Christian....the very word means little Christ! I think it is time for all of us to get out of our selfish selves and get back to the basics of God's word....get back to the business of the Father. Many so called "Christians" are going to go through the motions of this Lent season....give up something they deem a sacrifice...then when Easter is all over they are going to go back to their old ways and habits....they bring out their Christianity a couple times of the year by attending church around Easter & Christmas and put their Christianity back on the shelf and do their own thing.

The true definition of repentance is to #1 acknowledge the sin, #2 confess the sin and ask God for forgiveness #3 to turn completely the opposite way you were walking and start walking the life of Christ.....not to acknowledge, confess, seek forgiveness and then keep doing the same old thing. We are not to be conformed to this world but transformed by the very word of God! To be conformed is an outward thing....but to be transformed is an inward work of Christ....to become His glorious image...to become His hands and feet to those around us; this in essence is the progression from servant to friend to bride! May you make this Lent season a daily season beloved brother/sister in Christ. May you come to fully understand all that Jesus gave up and sacrificed for you....you are the precious pearl He gave all to have! May you surrender your rights and desires to obtain His character & will. It is a sweet surrender, a perilous journey but an excellent one nonetheless. God Bless!

Sacrifice of Service

Still pondering and churning around in my spirit this servant, friend, bride thing. Last night at church all I could do was cry and weep at His awesome feet. Pastor asked if I needed prayer, I told her I had no clue what was going on other then I just couldn't stop crying and I felt somewhat dead inside. During her study on Song of Solomon (yep a deep topic) she eluded to why I am such a "hard hat zone" these days. Back at the first of the year, my beloved Pastor/Shepherdess received the word of the Lord for the year "Be fruitful & multiply within"....meaning we are to be fruitful & multiply into His image first within each person, then our immediate body, then the immediate body of Christ, then into the world. Lot to do in such a short time it would seem. She & I also started discussing the 3 types of people that are at the wedding feast.....the servants, the friends, & the bride. It was then I uttered a prayer.....Lord I want to be Your bride.

You know when we tell God or ask Him to do something we must always remember He will! So back to last night, last night in the middle of her talk on SOS (sounds a bit funny huh?) she looks straight at me and tells me that what I am going through should give me such joy in the midst of such pain. I am engaged! Yep engaged to the King of kings & Lord of lords....that thought alone is what is moving me closer to what He desires....a beautiful spotless bride. I am fully engaged to the Lord and He is fully engaged in me, transforming me into His glorious bride. Here I thought I was in Servant stage....but somehow, somewhere I went to the next stage which is Friend. In the Friend stage you keep serving. Somehow I went through this stage to now being groomed as Bride....what a whirlwind adventure.

Some of what He is pulling out of me in the midst of this transformation I have His mercy and grace to not look upon it. Some of it He is showing me with His tender mercy and with His grace I am overcoming it. I find how He does things quite interesting in the midst of this.....His banner of love is over me and He keeps speaking words of encouragement & hope everywhere I turn.

Yesterday's Oswald was "The Delight of Service" 2 Corinthians 12:15 "I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls....." The delight of sacrifce is that I lay down my life for my Friend Jesus Christ (see John 15:13). I don't thow my life away, but I willingly and deliberately lay it down for Him and His interests in other people. All I could say was WOW when I caught my breathe after reading this....for I have prayed Lord let me spend and be spent for You.

Today's Oswald....well hang onto your shorts as granny would say.... "The Destitution of Service" 2 Corinthians 12:15 "...thought the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved." Paul's idea of service was the same as our Lord's. he did not care how high the cost was to himself -- he would gladly pay it. It was Paul's delight to spend his life for God's interests in other people, and he did not care what it cost. Again...WOW....it is crazy! I had spoken to the Lord when I first came back to Him "my life for You" and have rededicated myself to Him throughout the past 9 years. God has called me Esther many times over the past 9 years.....Esther only had one goal in the midst of her preparation time, to find out what pleased the king and to fulfill that goal. I like Esther have been discovering what pleases my Lord and been quick to give to Him what pleases Him most....my heart, my life, my worship, my devotion....as meek and meager it may be.

A good friend this morning gave me Philippians 2:13 this morning "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." So there by the grace of God go I.

The Determination to Serve

The first step of serving is the thought of serving and putting feet to that thought, purposing in one's heart to serve. "The Son of Man did not come to be serve, but to serve....." Matthew 20:28. Oswald Chambers put it this way "Once we realize that Jesus Christ has served us even to the depths of our meagerness, our selfishness, and our sin, nothing we encounter from others will be able to exhaust our determination to serve others for HIS sake."

So what does it mean to "serve". According to my friend Webster....to serve is "to work for, to prepare and offer, to provide goods and services for, to assist, to be of assitance to or promote the interests of, to spend or complete, to fight or undergo military service for, to give homage and obedience to, to act toward another in a specified way, to meet the needs or requirements of, to deliver or present." When we "wait" upon the Lord we really are serving Him, such as a waiter would serve in a restaurant.

What/how do you serve the King of kings and Lord of lords? What do you serve Him.....simply put you serve yourself.....you give Him anything/everything He asks of you. You give Him first and foremost your heart. God's word says "worship the Lord with all your heart, mind & soul." To worship Him in the manner He is most deserving we human beings lack on our own what is required. But HE is ever faithful...whatever He requires He readily provides. We all were created to worship....it is within us, if we would only remove ourselves and let our hearts sing the songs of worship they were created & indued with.

When we truly love God....I mean truly....serving Him is as easy as breathing. You won't think about how, when, or where....you will truly be a human "being" and will serve without realizing. Second thing needed to serve...availability. A very dear Pastor & friend told me to just "be". What does that mean? Well it means to just relax in the Lord....don't strive or struggle....just be the best Bert I can be for the moment and to just relax in God's love. When I relax I find I can be more readily HIS hands & feet to those around me without much effort or thought. When I try it in my "own" power it is exhausting. Relax and make yourself readily available and the Lord will do the rest. HE will bring those that need help along your path, you won't have to go or look far! Even in my meagerness, what seems my lack, I can still serve Him by serving others. Sometimes it is a sacrifice financially, but God always makes up the difference in abundance. Sometimes to serve others is just simply being God's arms of comfort with a hug.....sometimes it is just caring and praying for the person.....sometimes it is a sack of groceries given when no one notices.....sometimes it is just a card or note of encouragement when someone is down.....sometimes it is a smile towards a stranger in the grocery store, you never know just that smile might brighten someone's dreary day.

Seek God's wonderful face and HE will show you how to become His hands & feet....the very hands & feet of the most wonderful Servant of all. God Bless!

"Servant"

God has been talking to me quite a bit about being His servant. Yes on the last day here, first day in His awesome presence I would very much like to hear Him say to me "good & faithful servant." But most importantly I want to hear Him say....thank you for sharing all I have given you...good & faithful steward.

I have discovered that all servants are bought with a price and there are 2 basic classifications of servants. There are bondservants and indentured servants. Bondservants a bond, or price, was paid for that servant....in Hebrew times bondservants loved their masters and willing served even after their time of service was up. Indentured servants are forced to serve due to an outstanding debt or their country was conquered.

This got me to thinking.....what did Jesus do.....Jesus was compelled by the love of God for humankind that He willingly served the Father & us with His ultimate service of love...being the acceptable sacrifice for sin! Do I willing serve Jesus because I truly love Him....or do I serve Him because I am forced? Makes one wonder about the motive of the heart....upon searching my heart I can honestly say I serve Him because I love Him. I know there is NO way to ever repay the gift of love in His sacrifice for me.

I don't have all the answers, but have been pondering my walk with Him more and more these days. Remembering when I first came to Him as a sinner....how He has healed me of many inward hurts....how He cleansed me from my sin and made me pure & clean so I can enter the Father's presence....where I want our relationship to go.....

This relationship doesn't just stop at servant....it just begins there. Well dear blog reader I must dash for now. I will share in a few days what God has revealed to me about serving.....not enough time today as I am using a friend's computer. Hopefully my own personal "geek squad" will get mine up and running so I can blog more often then once a week. Hugs dear readers & friends.

Welcome

Welcome to this blog. Let me introduce myself, my name is Bert Bell. I am a child of God on an excellent journey from servant to friend to ultimately Bride. This blog is a log of my journey with God. I post it here to give insight in the journey for others, to be light for those struggling in the wilderness, to give hope to those looking for hope. It isn't here so one could debate religion or to cause problems. May my life with God be a blessing & encouragement to those who read it. For those who don't know God, may this blog show you the love of God and be a vessel to introduce you to my awesome King. This blog in essence is a blog of my relationship with God. Enjoy the journey with me.